Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut made grave allegations regarding the circumstances surrounding the plane crash that claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, describing the incident as “suspicious” and calling for a comprehensive and impartial investigation. Speaking to the media, Raut asserted that given Pawar’s prominence in Maharashtra’s political landscape, serious questions were inevitable, particularly in light of developments that allegedly took place shortly before the crash.
Raut stated that information emerging after the incident pointed towards something “dubious” and suggested that the sequence of events leading up to Pawar’s death required close examination. He alleged that Ajit Pawar had conveyed a desire to “return home,” a remark that Raut interpreted as indicating political unease. According to him, this was followed by alleged threats from leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who supposedly warned Pawar by referring to files linked to the Sinchan scam.
Further elaborating on his claims, Raut said that Pawar had responded to these allegations but died under what he described as “mysterious” circumstances within ten days of those exchanges. He implied that unseen forces or behind-the-scenes developments might have contributed to the tragedy. Drawing a comparison with the death of Justice B. H. Loya, Raut questioned whether external interference could have played a role, asking pointedly if “someone did something here.”
Raut had earlier remarked that it was “inhuman” to engage in discussions about leadership within the Nationalist Congress Party immediately after the tragic demise of its president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, urging political restraint and sensitivity during a period of mourning.
Meanwhile, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, responding to a letter from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, confirmed that the black box of the crashed aircraft had been recovered and secured. He informed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, functioning under the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, had initiated an official inquiry into the crash.
Naidu stated that the investigation was being conducted in accordance with the Aircraft Accident and Incident Rules and assured that the probe would be transparent, systematic, and completed within a defined timeframe. The crash, which occurred in Baramati on January 28, not only resulted in the death of Ajit Pawar but also claimed the lives of four other individuals on board, prompting widespread political reactions and demands for accountability.
In the days following the incident, Sunetra Pawar, the wife of the late Ajit Pawar and a senior figure in the Nationalist Congress Party (AP), was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The oath-taking ceremony took place at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai on Saturday, marking a historic moment as she became the first woman to assume the post previously held by her husband.
